Tree trimmer falls to his death in SE Ocala

Thursday

Jul 31, 2014 at 11:28 AM

A tree trimmer died Wednesday morning when he fell about 50 feet from a bucket as he was attempting to cut a piece of a tree.

By AUSTIN L. MILLERStaff writer

A tree trimmer died Wednesday morning when he fell about 50 feet from a bucket as he was attempting to cut a piece of a tree.Jeffrey Earl Phillips, 42, of Anthony, was taken by ambulance to Ocala Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, according to an Ocala Police Department report.At about 9:40 a.m., OPD Officer Amy Walker went to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 1831 SE 18th Ave. following a report of a man falling from a bucket truck.Someone had called 911, and Phillips was taken to the hospital.He had been in a bucket truck bearing signage for Conrad Tree Surgeons. Thomas Conrad, owner of Conrad Tree Surgeons, said Phillips was a subcontractor and owned his own business. He said Phillips was helping him out and had done several jobs for him over the past month."He was a good man, a stand-up guy and a good, honest person," Conrad said.Phillips' sister, Rebecca Ann Gary, said her brother worked for the tree company.Three witnesses told Walker what had happened, according to her report.Caleb Garcia, described by Conrad as working for Phillips, and two teenage boys told the officer that Phillips was in the bucket and was not wearing a safety harness. They said he had tied a rope to a tree he was trying to cut down. The rope was attached to the bucket winch.Phillips, they said, tried to pull down a partially cut piece of tree using the winch. The rope snapped and caused the bucket to move. As it moved, Phillips was thrown out and fell to the ground.One of the teens said he saw someone on the church property and asked that person to call 911. The other teen said the bucket was still swaying and his initial thought was to lower the boom as he saw dust and debris falling.The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified about the death, and a representative went to the location.Conrad also was on scene and assisted police in finding Phillips' family members.Gary, Phillips' sister, said he leaves behind a 14-year-old son."We loved him very much, and it was a tragic accident," she said.Wanda Jean Phillips, mother of the deceased, called her son's death "a great loss."Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.